Bush Aide Says Opposing MLK Day Was Legit

by David Sirota of Sirotablog

This Washington Post profile of President Bush's top domestic policy adviser, Claude A. Allen, is illustrative of the kind of hard-right outlook that comes from the White House. According to the piece, Allen was a top spokesman for U.S. Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC), the man who became infamous for his racist views. When asked about whether, as an African-American, Allen had trouble working for Helms, the Post reports that "Allen counts the controversial Helms as a mentor, calling him a man of integrity and principle."

When pushed about how he felt about Helms high-profile opposition to things like Martin Luther King Day, "Allen said he differed with his boss on that one but" - GET THIS - "he added that Helms's stated objections - that King was linked to communists, that the holiday cost too much and that individuals should not be granted national holidays - were legitimate."

This is really disgusting, but remember, it shouldn't be surprising. President Bush, who grew up a rich blueblood son of privilege, has shown a total disdain for African Americans during his term. He was the first President in the modern era not to address the NAACP, and in 2004 he actually used Martin Luther King Day as a cheap excuse to force taxpayers to pay for his trip to Atlanta, where he visited King's grave for all of a few minutes, and then spent the rest of the holiday holding lavish fundraisers for himself with his big donors.